


Zenonia 4: The Novelization

by EternallySoulless (Venti)



Category: Zenonia
Genre: Angst and Feels, Angst with a Happy Ending, Fluff and Angst, Gen, Novelization, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, With A Twist, Zenonia 4
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-08-28
Updated: 2018-08-28
Packaged: 2019-07-03 21:06:15
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,334
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15826932
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Venti/pseuds/EternallySoulless
Summary: Pulled into a world of confusion and darkness, Regret only has his past memories and an amnesic fairy for clues on how to prevent an impending disaster from occurring. Problem is... Can one change their destiny even if they go back in time? A rewritten novel version of Zenonia 4.





	1. Prologue: The Dream

**Author's Note:**

> Do not falter, do not be anxious, do not regret.  
> Your choice is the right way, your heart is righteous.  
> -Lu, Captain of the Knights

_Drip, drip, drip_

Water dripped from the long, pointed stalagmites onto the moist earth. The sound echoed throughout the cave. No wind blew in. No living thing moved. Suddenly, a person rushed in, his blades gleaming in the dim moonlight.

_This…this dream again!_

Color suddenly flooded my senses, letting me see the cave and the person better. This man—no, this boy—seemed no bigger than eighteen, his blonde locks damp and stuck to his forehead. Panting slightly, he surveyed his surroundings with piercing crimson eyes.

Within seconds, a group of monsters surrounded him with a huge ice monster—golem?—leading. With gargoyles on his every side, there was no way he could escape even if he tried.

_What are they up to…?_

The leader of the monsters suddenly slammed his arms against the floor. The other monsters took it as their cue to attack, rushing in with a loud cry.

_Not good… He's in danger!_

Eerily calm, he waited until the last minute and dashed forward. All I could see was a flash –a very brief flash—of blades, and it was all over. Chunks of the annihilated gargoyles lay strewn all over the ground, leftover blood dripping off his blades.

_Wh-what… This guy is… Incredibly strong!_

Angry at being outwitted, the remaining golem leader slammed his arms down again on the ground. Again the gargoyles came, surrounding him on all sides and blocking his exit with sharp, glittering claws.

I realized the problem then.  _There are just too many…_

' _Hey,'_  I tried to shout out _, 'Get out of here!'_

Suddenly another older man ran in and, with a fatal blow, killed two of the gargoyles.

"You look like you could use some help." A grim smile playing on his lips, the older man gave the younger male a roll of his eyes. "Can't even defeat these small fries?"

_Is he an ally?_

"Yeah, yeah, whatever you think Chael." The younger one snorted and easily parried a claw directed toward his throat before giving the aforementioned Chael a quick side glance. "Worried?"

"Hmph, as if Recruit." Killing off the last of the gargoyles, they started in on the last monster, the ice golem, when it roared in fury. One by one, more monsters surrounded them, looking even more ferocious than before.

"There's no end to these punks!" The younger male growled as he leaped to intercept a crushing blow from behind Chael.

"There is barely enough time as it is," the older blonde man replied, doing the same for the younger male and sliced a monster in half in the process. "I'll keep these guys busy…" He lunged forward, and his sword swiped a graceful arc through bodies of gargoyles. "Go ahead and…"

 _Impossible! There's too many_ …I watched as yet another wave of monsters blocked them from running and moving forward. Already, I could see that their movements were lagging, and pants could be heard as they blocked and slashed. The fresh monsters arriving after each slaughter weren't showing any mercy either. Those two…they were going to die if help doesn't arrive soon.

I was soon proven wrong as the younger one finished clearing a forward section opening with only three incredible moves.

"Well…" the younger one hesitated as he stepped through the opening, looking back at his still- fighting ally. "…You sure you can handle them?"

The aforementioned ally gave him a venomous scowl as he glanced briefly at the younger male and ordered, "Don't worry about me. Just go, you fool!"

With a resigned look, the younger blonde nodded and disappeared deeper into the cave.

"Yo, buckethead!" Chael called, addressing the oddly shaped ice golem. "If you and your cronies want to follow that guy…You'll have to deal with my sword first." Sword raised high in the air so that all visible light could be reflected off of it, he smirked slightly as he snarled, "Come at me!"

The last thing I saw was the gleaming of human blood, spilled all over the ground.


	2. Seeking Truth (1/3)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The start of something that Regret isn't quite ready for just yet.  
> Featuring his "dad", his "neighbors", and bronze mining.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Three things cannot be long hidden: the sun, the moon, and the truth.   
> \- Buddha

_BANG!_

"Regret!"

"Mph," I mumbled and turned over.  _Who's calling me? It's too early…_  I blearily opened an eye and immediately closed it to protect it from the sun's blinding rays, burying my face deeper into my pillow.

"RE! GU! RET!"

_Hmm…? This voice… It's Dad!_

I shot up and bolted out of bed. Forget about breakfast, I barely had time to brush my teeth before Dad banged against the door again.

"Boy, if you don't get out this instant, I'm going to get the switch!"

Pulling on a pair of shoes and slipping my practice sword onto my back, I rushed out and barely managed to duck as my dad swung his fist to bang on the door again.

"Y-yes? Dad?" I smiled sheepishly and tried to get my bedhead down to a manageable level by running my fingers through it. Unfortunately, that backfired when the blond strands somehow stuck up higher.

"You weren't still sleeping, were you?" He raised an eyebrow at my untidiness. Being a man of order and strict rules, my dad Dupre didn't like it when others didn't adhere to the same guidelines. "It's pretty late even for you," he said, pointing at the bright noon sun.

"Um… Of course not!" It was no use lying to Dad, but hey, a kid could hope right? "I was just, uh, studying!"

He snorted and turned away so that he was facing the rest of the town. "No need for excuses. There isn't much to do in this tiny town anyway."

Too true. Adonis Town was  _tiny_ , compared to humongous places like Deva Castle which I have only heard about from the town merchants. With a small population of about fifty or so people, it's pretty peaceful except occasional squabbles, courtesy of Mrs. Tender. That is why I often wanted to go to places full of unexplored regions. God knows I need some excitement in my life.

_This is why…_

"He-he, no kidding," I laughed, hoping that he wouldn't remember to scold me. Suddenly remembering something myself, I asked, "Hey, Dad, if you're so bored, can you teach me your special sword technique?" Seeing his furrowed eyebrows, I clasped my hands together and hoped.

" _Please?"_

My ever so dutiful Dad seemed to ponder it before frowning. "Regret, my son, we live in peaceful times… Why do you want to learn my sword technique?"

"Well… I'm tired of hunting slimes and…" I tried to think of some more reasons why when my mouth betrayed me and blurted out, "I want to face those haunted monsters I hear about that live deep in Eraes Forest."

_Damn_ , I thought as Dad swung a fist that connected with my jaw.  _Damn, damn, damn_. I cradled my jaw tenderly as I kept my eyes on the ground.  _I knew I shouldn't have said anything… Stupid mouth. Why can't I ever think something through?_

"You insolent brat!" he raged, walking over so that he stood in front of me. "How many times have I told you to never mention that place?!"

"Oh…" I winced at the jolt of pain that shot through my jaw as I spoke. Tilting my head up, I briefly met his eyes and then looked back down. "Right."

_Stupid me. I can never say anything. He gets like this whenever I mention Eraes Forest._

With a loud sigh, Dad ruffled my hair in apology and stepped away. "If you're so bored, visit Mrs. Tender at her house. She wanted to see you for something." Then in a hard voice, he said, "And don't ever mention Eraes Forest ever again. Or I'll beat you until you're black and blue."

Then again, I mused, taking quick steps toward Mrs. Tender's house, Dad had a good reason why he didn't want me to go to Eraes Forest. Once while I was chopping up wood for the fire, I had overheard Mrs. Tender comfort my dad who had come back home drunk.

"She's dead!" he had raged, "She's died in that damn god-forsaken forest thirteen years ago!"

"Now, now, Dupre," Mrs. Tender's soothing voice had drifted out the window, "I'm sure she's in a better place now."

"But, it's his entire fault… If only he didn't get sick…"

_He… His fault? It couldn't be… Me?_

"Now, hush." Her tone had turned icy. "It's no one's fault."

_Why don't I remember what had happened…? After all, I was already three…_

"Oh, Regret!" a cheery voice rang out. "You're here!"

I smile, shaking myself out of those dark thoughts.  _It was no use thinking about the past anyway. It's not as if I could travel back in time._  "Good morning, Mrs. Tender," I replied. "My dad mentioned you wanted to see me."

Mrs. Darling Tender was almost like a mother to me even though she was always busy trying to take care of the inn she owned. Blond, fluffy hair, cut into a bob adorned her head. With a pair of glasses perched on her nose and an apron tied around her waist, she looked the very stereotypical type of a nanny.

"Yes, yes." She nodded her head empathically as she shuffled around the inn. "You know Billy? That new merchant who opened a shop down the road?" When I nodded, she continued, "Well, he always mines Bronze for me since the other worker quit. Unfortunately, he injured his last week…"

"And you want  _me_  to do it, right?" Looking at her hopeful face, I already had a feeling that I was going to get roped in it somehow, willingly or not.

"Of course!" Mrs. Tender beamed at me before bending down and rummaging through a few boxes. "I was hoping I could last a while with the remaining Bronze, but I just ran out today… Besides, I trust you more than those little pests over in  _that_ house next door." I stifled a grin when she said that but managed to get it under control before she turned around and handed me a mining pick.

"There! Now you're all ready to mine like a miner."

"Well, I suppose I could…"

"If you do, I got some of my famous meatloaf with your name on it!"

_Urgh…_

"…Ah… No, that won't be necessary."

Mrs. Tender's meatloaf was  _always dry_. When I was younger, she always made it for supper because she thought it was my favorite dish. Well…It  _was_  until  _she_  started making them. Every night I had to choke it down, downing cups of juice to even be able to swallow it. Eventually, I started to hate it and then convinced her that my favorite dish was actually just chicken soup. Still… Even now, my stomach threatens to vomit whenever I hear the word 'meatloaf'.

"Oh, sorry, I forgot that it was chicken soup," she  _tsk_ ed and absentmindedly begins to straighten my collar, "Not a big fan of my meatloaf huh… Such a  _shame_."

"…" I smiled awkwardly.

"How about…a girlfriend? I heard Billy's daughter is back from her vacation!"

"!" I blushed to the roots of my hair as I remembered Mandy, Billy's redheaded daughter, who had always been kind enough to secretly spar with me in the morning. Clearing my throat, I tried to control my expression enough so that I wouldn't look too eager. "Bronze, here I come!"

"I need five pieces of it," Mrs. Tender gave me another  _tsk_  as she saw through my act. "Think you can handle it?"

"Yes, yes—I'm on my way," I yelled as I ran into the densest part of Eraes Forest without looking back.

* * *

 

Tender was still shuffling around her inn when Billy arrived, limping slightly because he was favoring his left leg.

"Tender, where's that kid running off to now?" He caught himself at the counter and wobbled over to his close friend. "He barely murmured an apology when he almost knocked me down," he grumbled.

"Oh," Tender pretended to busy herself searching through the boxes for the intended items to hide her amusement. "It's nothing important."

Confused on why she was avoiding his eyes, he raised an eyebrow, but asked, "Anyway, do you have what I asked?"

"Ah…one second…" She finished rummaging, nodded approvingly, and then handed him the things he had asked for earlier this morning. "Here you go. Your ice pack and bandages."

Smiling a little, he raised the icepack to his bruised leg and winced at the instant coolness. "Thanks a lot, Tender. Don't know what I would do without you since I always seem to be in your debt."

"No, no, Billy," Tender shook her head and wagged a finger sternly at her recent gossip buddy. "You and I both know how violent your daughter is."

He didn't know whether to be proud of that statement or insulted on the behalf of his daughter but shrugged and puffed out his chest. "After learning Jujitsu from her trip to Brazil, my daughter is always asking me to be her sparring partner. She really has a talent for it!"

"Oh, really?" Tender stifled a laugh as she fake-coughed.

_Now, I feel bad for Regret…_

What she didn't know was that Regret had been the one to teach his daughter, not some random person in Brazil… And that he always been secretly sparring with her for the past years to gain his strength.

* * *

 

A few slimes and a few broken practices boxes later, I finished collecting the Bronzes and stopped to rest. Wiping the sweat off my forehead, I leaned against a tree, using the shade to block out the boiling sun.

"Done!" I huffed, muttering to myself, "Five pieces of Bronze…"

_Mining is easier than I thought. Quite the upper body exercise._

Stretching, I yawned and slung the bag used to hold the Bronzes over my shoulder.

_Time to head back to town!_

If I had known what was going to happen to change my life, I'm not sure if I would've been so carefree, heading toward an unpreventable fate.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Welp... It looks like I'll be updating once a month then. Not much to say except school is a soul-sucking demon and I didn't even know I had a soul (hence my pen name). I've split all the chapters up into three parts to make it easier to redo and revise them.
> 
> Seriously... I need a beta-reader...

**Author's Note:**

> Hello readers, I'm just another newbie author on this archive, a fledging if you will. The mobile game series called Zenonia created by Gamevil is what I just got addicted to, years and years ago. I've played through all of them that's out (1-5), and was kind of disappointed at the few fanfictions that have been written about them. 
> 
> So, as a result, I have now started to write them myself. After all, if you can't find a story to please you, you gotta go write it yourself. And so, here I am.
> 
> As stated in the title and summary, this will be the book version of Zenonia 4. I may or may not change the plot around to fit the story better, but the fact is that I'll be adding more dialogue because either Gamevil doesn't make very good ones or it's mistranslated in the process from Korean to English.


End file.
